After the Hurt

by Shana Gray

“Patience, devil woman.” He flexed again and dipped a little deeper into her. She groaned, her head resting deep in the pillows. She watched him with half-closed eyes. “You are way too impatient for your own good.”

  “Am I?” The strain in her voice was echoed by his and for the life of her she couldn’t understand why he was holding back. “I’ve waited way too long for this.”

  Pepper was far too strung out with need right now to want to wait any longer. All she wanted was him, and she bucked under him.

  —

  “Now, now.” Pepper’s words were muffled into his neck. Her hot breath on him was almost more than he could bear. She was slick with her need and he thrust a tiny bit deeper into her, aching to feel more of her wet tightness take him in its possessive grip. It was all he could do to control his muscles from trembling in an effort to hold himself back from thrusting into her. Deep. Long. Satisfying. Just another moment so he could bring her a little higher before he buried himself. Pressure built and his balls pulled tight, fanning waves of excruciating heaven into his hips.

  Tank slid in another inch, then withdrew. Her heels snapped tight around him like a vice, not letting him go. He chuckled at her desperation and continued to tease them both. In, out, in a little deeper until he was slick with her juices so when he did plunge all the way, he would flow like lava—fast, thick, and scorching.

  Tank wrapped his arms around her shoulders and supported them with his elbows. Tendrils of her hair spread over the white sheets like flames. Not black sheets like the last time, but pure, crisp, and clean white. The symbolism wasn’t lost on Tank. A new beginning for both of them. But she had to leave.

  He sucked in a sharp breath when pain burst in his shoulder followed quickly by agonizing pleasure when her tongue flattened and licked where she had just bitten him. Pepper was getting impatient and her heels pounded on his ass. He always enjoyed teasing her, bringing her to the brink only to retreat and take her closer yet again. Easing in a little deeper each time. But they had been apart far too long for him to keep this up much longer. He wouldn’t be able to resist burying himself into her, where he belonged. When her nails scraped down his back, the pain and pleasure heightened the sensations crashing over him.

  Now! He thrust deep, until she swallowed him, her inner muscles contracting around his length until he could go no deeper. She cried out, her head flung back and eyes squeezed shut. Tank stilled in her, but only for the briefest moment so he could draw in breath. It was a move that wrapped her exotic scent in and around him. Pepper’s heated flesh ripened her sweet and spicy scent, blending with the heady musk of sex, nearly driving him mad. He inhaled her essence, wanting it to imprint on him.

  Before he tipped his hips back, flexing his butt cheek muscles, he moved his pelvis just enough to withdraw. Her muscles constricted on him again, preventing him from fully pulling out. He thrust deep, pumped her rhythmically, gritting his teeth to maintain control. She met him plunge for plunge, their cadence perfect. She had one arm tight around his neck and her other slipped between them. He knew she was rubbing her clit by the way her inner muscles pulsed around his cock. They were in perfect harmony.

  Pepper panted little breaths, holding until she needed air and then, with quick gulps, took what she needed before holding it again. Tank tipped her head so he could see her face. Her lips glistened each time she ran her tongue over them and he longed to taste them while he made love to her. But he wanted to watch the ecstasy on her face and see her come apart at the seams when she climaxed.

  It wasn’t far away now. He knew her so well. Knew every nuance of her nature, her body. Every little flutter of muscle. How he’d missed her. And how glad he was to have her back in his arms again.

  His own pressure was building to the point of being unable to hold back. It rushed at him and he welcomed it. Tank was having difficulty keeping the rhythm steady. She was careening toward her release too. Every muscle tensed and as he slammed into her, she accepted him. Ah, his Pepper, allowing him to be himself. Rough, calm, wild, whichever mood he was in, she accepted and hungrily took it from him. She drew his power from him until he was sapped and lifeless. That moment was coming fast. Without realizing she did so, she allowed him to unleash and run her to the edge and back until she fractured under him. He looked down at her. His vision hazed and his mind imploded. She opened her eyes, sucking him into their violet depths.

  “Tank, keep…keep…Tank…yes…” The veins in her neck popped and her mouth fell open in a silent cry. He captured her mouth and slanted his lips on hers, plunging his tongue deep as he felt her belly contract and her walls clamp around him. He kissed her fiercely, tasting a tang of blood as their teeth and tongue grazed against each other.

  That was all it took for Tank to join her in a shuddering release. The headboard rocked against the wall and he drove in one last time in blissful agony. Buried deep into her pulsing heat. His last thrust set off another wave of contractions in Pepper and she quivered around him again. He held her, loving her response to him. Loving that she didn’t hold anything back. Loving that they could be as primal or as sweet as they wanted.

  Tank dropped his head to her neck and roared into her yielding flesh. Mind-numbing pleasure boiled in his hips to erupt with an explosive blast into her. Never, ever had he had such a powerful orgasm take him. Tank fell on her with his last waves of ecstasy, staying there until her legs loosened their viselike grip and dropped to the bed beside them. He was still buried deep within her and every little move she made rasped on his supersensitive cock, making him jump with pain-tinged pleasure.

  Tank lifted up on his elbows to give her room, shivering as her fingers stroked up and down his back. Gradually all his muscles slackened and he rolled onto his back, keeping his arm locked around her shoulders. Not ever wanting to let her go. Sweat gleamed on her tanned skin, making her look as if she had been dipped in gold from the light filtering through the blinds. Every few seconds she trembled in her afterglow.

  “C’mere.” Tank pulled her closer and drew the covers over them.

  “It’s so good, Tank…” She snuggled into his side.

  “What’s good, love?”

  “Us. Being with you again.”

  She tipped her head and he caught his breath at what he saw reflected in her eyes. He nodded, not trusting himself to speak, choked up with a lump in his throat. He was moved beyond words. He swallowed. Her face told him everything. His teenage sweetheart lay in his arms again. Long after he thought he’d lost her forever. And just as he was about to let her go.

  She smiled and raised her face to kiss him. The luminescent hue of her eyes glimmered with tears. “Tank. I’m back in your arms and I’m not leaving, ever.”

  She rose and pressed trembling lips to his. He tasted the tang of her salty tears and sighed a deep, shuddering sigh. One that seemed to expel all his hurt and anger and replace it with tenderness and love. Flames from the hearth bathed them in flickering light, their soft crackle the only sound in the room other than their breathing. Pepper fit perfectly to his body, every curve and swell, like they were cast from similar molds and made just for each other. He deepened the kiss and she yielded as he pressed her into the pillows.

  Slowly he pushed her back and disentangled himself from her arms. As much as he wanted to wait until the morning to tell her, he couldn’t. It made him feel disloyal. He had to tell her now. Not doing so and letting her think they could be together, which wasn’t possible as long as this lunatic was still running around, was wrong.

  He lay on his back and stared at the ceiling. Tank felt her move beside him and turned to look at her. She lay on her side, still flushed and smiling. Her hair fanned over the jumble of pillows around her. He itched to push his fingers into the sexy tumble of the silky strands, but he gripped the sheets instead.

  Serenaded by the crackle of fire and flickering glow around them, they lay side by side. Silent. Pepper’s foot rubbed his and he sighed. He would have been content and peacefu
l, but that damn black cloud hanging over his head was killing him. He reached out, wound his arm around her shoulders, and pulled her close. Tank swirled his fingers over the smooth skin of her shoulder. She moved and draped her arm over his hip. The scent of sex hung in the air and he inhaled it. This moment in time was perfect. He felt a stirring for her again. Like a starved man finally being fed, he couldn’t get enough of her. This amazing woman was back in his arms again. He knew she would want to nap for a little while and be raring to go again. He closed his eyes with a sigh. Pepper squeezed his hip and he pulled her tighter. Their breathing was hushed and the night noises of the old building creaked and cracked from the outside cold.

  But he had to talk to her first. Before they got too carried away.

  “Baby, I have to tell you something.”

  Chapter 19

  “Mm-hm?” Her voice was muffled in the sheets.

  “I think you should leave.” Shit, that didn’t come out right. What was he thinking?

  Tank felt her stiffen before interrupting him. “What? Leave? I don’t understand.”

  “Pepper, shh, let me talk. Please.”

  “What is this? You fuck me and then want me to leave?” She pulled away and tugged the covers up to her shoulders.

  “No, no. Listen to me. Just for a little while.” He paused, waiting for her to explode into anger. But she didn’t, which surprised the hell out of him. “I hadn’t wanted to tell you, but I’m concerned for your safety. That guy we saw a while back and a few other little things have me worried. I don’t want you in harm’s way.”

  “How long have you been thinking about this? You never did answer me before about calling Joe.”

  “Yes, I called him. And I had papers drawn up and a check for half of the business a while ago, actually just after you came back. Initially so we could split the business, but I changed my mind and was going to rip them up. Now, with this development, I want you to take it.” Tank reached for her and she shrugged him off. “That way you can be safe. Secure. Away from me. It seems I attract the freaks.”

  “I can handle myself. I can help you with this.”

  He shook his head. “No, I won’t allow you to be exposed to danger. You know what it’s like. This is the best thing for you.”

  “But what about us, Tank? We finally get back together and you want to break us up.”

  “Pepper, please understand.”

  “I don’t want the money. I want to stay here with you.” She looked at him, her eyes reflected the pain he was inflicting on her. His heart was breaking all over again. How ironic he’d been worried she’d hurt him again, when he was the one doing it this time.

  He pulled her to him and didn’t say anything. Pepper wrapped her arms around him as if she’d never let him go, resting her head on his shoulder. The pain he’d felt when she’d left him before was nothing compared to this new agony. Pushing her away when she wanted to be with him choked him up. It didn’t help when he felt her hot tears fall onto him. He squeezed her tighter when he heard her soft sob. They lay quietly for a while and he drifted on the edge of sleep. Neither spoke but so much hovered between them. They’d sort it out; he was determined they would. But not until it was safe.

  Tank didn’t really pay attention to the quiet click in the other room, associating it with the other building sounds as he dozed. Slowly sounds unnatural to the building seeped into his sleepy brain. He didn’t really register them. What sounded like soft footfalls blended into the shallow dream that floated behind his eyelids. As the steps got a little louder, he furrowed his brows and struggled to open his eyes, trying to tell himself the sounds were only in his dream. Another part of his mind shouted for him to wake up. But he stayed trapped in his soft, cozy dream world surround by Pepper’s warmth.

  By the time his subconscious recognized the noises were not intrinsic to his dream or the building, it was too late. A sharp voice cut him from the misty trance he’d fallen into, shattering their solitude. Tank’s eyes flew open.

  “Isn’t this sweet.” The harsh, bitter tone pierced his brain like a spike. He turned his attention to the direction the sound came from, the bedroom door. A painfully bright light beamed into the room, blinding him. He had trouble processing the situation and the threat of danger flared in his chest. Alarm liquefied in his belly and raced up his spine in a glacial grip.

  He tried to blink away the light spots marring his vision.

  “What the fuck?” Tank surged up.

  “What’s the matter—,” Pepper mumbled, her voice thick with sleep.

  Light from the fire glinted off the muzzle of a black gun. What? Was he seeing that right? A gun? It was pointed at Pepper too. The icy chill in his back shattered like shards of frozen glass, filling him with dread. He’d been right; she was in danger! Tank shouted a warning and shoved Pepper off the bed as a shot rang out. There was a loud thump on the floor and a puff of feathers exploded into the air around them. A high-pitched scream came from the far side of the bed, then eerie quiet.

  Time slowed down and Tank roared, “Nooo!”

  The recoil of the gun had ripped the shooter’s arm up into the air and threw him off balance. It gave Tank a few precious seconds to scramble across the bed. He took him down. They crashed to the floor and rolled into the wall as another shot popped off, spewing shards of shattered glass everywhere.

  This couldn’t be happening! Tank felt like he was in a dream. Unable to process the situation yet reacting instinctively, he fought. Fought harder than he’d ever done in the ring. Pepper’s life depended on it. Another boom and a searing pain ripped through Tank’s thigh, stunning him momentarily and allowing the guy to scramble out from under him. He crawled through the bedroom door, the gun in his hand thumping on the floor.

  Ignoring the pain, Tank lunged after him. This time he would pin him into submission. No way would this asshole get away. Both rolled on the floor until Tank got the guy under him. Pain burst through his temple and he wavered a bit. Goddamn prick must have hit him with the gun. Tank yelled out his frustration. Energy surged through his muscles and within seconds he had him pinned, holding the hand with the gun so the muzzle pointed away.

  A third shot popped off and Tank flinched. His head exploded with the sound. He was nearly deafened and all he could hear was loud ringing. All he could think of was Pepper, hoping she’d stayed down and hadn’t been hit. Gripping the wrist of the attacker, Tank hesitated and smashed the hand on the wooden floor until the gun clattered away.

  “Who. The. Fuck. Are you?” Tank gritted out the words and managed to hold the struggling person beneath him. In the darkened room with only the streetlights illuminating the room, Tank controlled the flailing arms. He got his arms around the neck of the guy and choked him out, holding until the body went limp under him.

  Tank kicked the gun away, and it skittered under the couch. He shouted out, “Pepper, are you okay?”

  She didn’t answer and panic filled him, his gut souring with fear. What if she’d been shot? What if she was dead? Oh, God, it couldn’t be happening. Just as she’d come back into his life he could be losing her again.

  “Pepper!” he shouted again. Desperate to go to her, he hesitated, not wanting to leave this guy in case he came to. But he had to go to her.

  Broken glass ripped the soles of his feet, his thigh gave him mind-splitting pain, but he didn’t care. Grabbing his phone that had fallen to the floor in the struggle, he called 911.

  “Police, fire, emergency,” an operator answered.

  “Police, now, gunshots,” he said and gave his address and the pass code for the back downstairs door.

  “Is anyone hurt?”

  “I don’t know…checking.” He rounded the bed and Pepper lay sprawled before him, her head at an awkward angle next to the night table. Blood oozed down her temple. “Oh God, she’s not moving. There’s blood.”

  He didn’t hear any more questions and dropped the cellphone. Tank pressed his fingers to her throat
and held his breath, feeling for a pulse. There! He found it and breathed a sigh of relief.

  “She’s alive,” he shouted so the dispatcher could hear. “I have the shooter; hurry.”

  “Pepper, honey. Wake up.” She didn’t and lay like a statue. He brushed feathers off her face from the exploded pillow. Her hair stuck to the blood dripping down her cheek. Tank dragged the comforter off the bed, covering her to conceal her nakedness. He grabbed tissues to wipe the congealing blood. She lay pale and quiet, but alive. He put her on the bed and glanced at the dude on the floor. Still out cold. Maybe he’d choked the life out of him.

  He bent to Pepper; slowly she came around and her lashes fluttered open. Fear glazed her eyes and tears welled. “W…what happened?”

  “Shh, it’s okay. Are you hurt?”

  “I don’t think so.” She winced when she tried to sit up. “My head.” She lifted trembling fingers and touched her temple.

  “The police and ambulance will be here soon. They’ll check you out. Take it easy.” Tank held her and was pretty sure she hadn’t been shot.

  “You need to get dressed, and watch the glass on the floor; it’s everywhere. This room will be swarming with cops any minute.”

  Tank pulled on jeans, his thigh and feet screaming in pain. He pushed his feet into shoes, nearly buckling from the agony, and stood over the intruder. Tank watched Pepper drag on his robe. “Go sit in the living room.”

  She gave the guy on the floor a wide berth, and when he moaned, she nearly jumped out of her skin.

  “Tank!”

  “It’s okay. I’ve got him. Now go and unlock the door for the cops.” Sirens wailed outside and minutes later, emergency lights from the cruisers lit the loft in a swirling kaleidoscope of red and blue. Heavy fists pounded on the door before it opened and the place was overrun with cops.

  —

  Tank lay on the hospital bed in a private room. Pepper refused to leave his side. The cops had finally left after all the questions. The guy who had broken in was arrested. Apparently, Tank had been this guy’s target for a while for being rich with celebrity status and a flourishing business. The guy had been jealous, unbalanced, and determined to take it all away from Tank. It was very disturbing to hear, but Tank was glad they were safe now. It made him realize they’d always have to be cautious in the future.